98XJ: Project Salsa

[XJLI]

First some background infoz-

Had my last XJ from 12/05 to 7/10, and I basically learned how to work on cars on that thing. But when you do things like this:

without unibody bracing, your shit gets XXXXed.

drove the hell out of it 8200 miles across the country and back, wheeling some of the craziest terrain the USA has to offer. Sadly, it was destroyed so I parted it and proceeded to buy parts to swap a WRX turbo motor into my subie. Halfway through that I decided that was retarded and I'd either die, lose my license or go to jail with a 2700lb, 270whp awd sports car; so I traded it straight up for my buddy's 98 XJ.

Here it is-

and the best part, 87k

4.0/AW4/231 combo w/ a 8.25 rear. I was with him when he bought it 3 years ago with just under 60k, and he was into wheeling for a little while then just ended up driving it. It has nice cooper A/Ts, a DPG gas tank skid, c4x4 tow hooks, and hidden hitch. absolutely no rust anywhere. I already threw my trademark amber hellas and thule sticker-fied fairing on to claim it as mine. probably put the front skid i have laying in the backyard on as well. gotta get that effing glue off the side moulding my friend ripped off and never bothered finishing removing. argh.

Plans are the rockkrawler 4-link and 35s, a beefier than a D30 front axle, full unibody bracing and a hybrid cage. i want this to be a very capable but very streetable truck that can drive a long distance at a moment's notice, wheel & camp, then drive home w/o an issue.

and now a windows logo bc i've never used it on the forum before and i have no idea why its here.
:windows:

 

[5spd_xj]

:windows:


That is all.

 

[Irongrave]

nice adam, cant wait to see the build up on this one

 

[rweaver138]

nice ending

 

[Burton58]

1) shoulda kept the car

2) that sticker should say HADspeed

3) hurry up and build it

 

[sean_xj]

is the wrx motor in the subie or was that halted? causeeee, mike with that car just seems dangerous!

 

[XJLI]

is the wrx motor in the subie or was that halted? causeeee, mike with that car just seems dangerous!

nope, hes got it with the stock motor.

 

[iant333]

Man it would have been a close call on me trading you my actually kinda built Jeep if you had the 2.0 in that Subaru lol.

And your old Jeep had a totally stock unibody? And what happened it just cracked?

Either way good luck with it.

 

[XJLI]

Man it would have been a close call on me trading you my actually kinda built Jeep if you had the 2.0 in that Subaru lol.

And your old Jeep had a totally stock unibody? And what happened it just cracked?

Either way good luck with it.

if i went through with the swap the car would be worth a shitload more. unfortunately no one ever gets close to half what they put into RS swaps unless theyre mint.

and yea, toasted the unibody on the old one. trans tunner, d-pillars, rear crossmember... and cracked. and the framerails were flattened.

 

[ktm racer 419]

gettin into the jeep dukes of hazzard style cuz the doors were wedged shut

 

[XJLI]

gettin into the jeep dukes of hazzard style cuz the doors were wedged shut

yea that got old real fast.

 

[foxwar71]

gettin into the jeep dukes of hazzard style cuz the doors were wedged shut

another point where 2drs are better then 4drs. you remember to take the vent visors off otherwise you lean against them and break them :gee:

 

[CROSBIKE]

update?

 

[ktm racer 419]

its stock and gets stuck in 4" of mud

 

[Supermanxj]

Lame.

 

[vetteboy]

He's also failed at several attempts to get axles for it.

 

[89XJPioneer]

sounds like adam is currently full of fail!

 

[XJLI]

i put new shocks in it... and the exhaust is almost ready to fall off bc the hangars (literally, coat hangars) keep breaking.

my priorities keep changing. right now it needs tires bad so i'm looking for a set of 225s-30" A/Ts for the winter. and yea, missed out on a lot of axles... but in a way thats alright bc i'm trying to get the fawk out of here and move out west. if someone buys the goddamn turbo or the BBK i have for the subie i can finally order a set of stiffeners.

 

[XJLI]

oh snape.

31" bfg mts on rimzzz.

doing a ghetto lift tomorrow... 1.75" vetteboy coil spacers, main leaf from a stock XJ pack AAL, detours shock extensions in the back (i think 1.5"... they is freezor), and i'll make some shock extensions up front out of whatever leftover steel we have laying around at my friend's house.

also cutting like 1/4" off my rockkrawler trackbar and using that, and gonna get new bushings for my RE lowers.. bc i have them and no one wants to buy em so fuck it. oh yea, full swaybar delete also bc thats just how i roll and all the cool kids do it.

 

[ktm racer 419]

you are doing a 2" lift. you dont need the trackbar